Turkey Book Talk

Ahmet Erdi Öztürk of Strasbourg University on the past, present and future of the Religious Affairs Directorate (Diyanet). Öztürk is author of the paper “Turkey’s Diyanet under AKP rule: From protector to imposer of state ideology?” and co-author of “The Diyanet as a Turkish foreign policy tool.” Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive, and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris.

Halil Karaveli on “Why Turkey is Authoritarian: From Atatürk to Erdoğan” (Pluto Press). Against the idea that the secularism-Islam divide is the fundamental driver of Turkey’s modern history, Karaveli argues that protecting dominant class interests lies behind authoritarianism in its civilian and military guises. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive, and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris.

Dimitar Bechev of the Atlantic Council on the past and present of Turkey-Russia relations, which he describes as "rich in history, ambivalent and rich in nuance, blending fierce competition with cooperation."  Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive, and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris.

Amy Spangler on the life and work of Sevgi Soysal, whose classic 1973 novel "Noontime in Yenişehir" she translated into English. She also discusses co-founding the literary agency AnatoliaLit and her work on "Seher," a collection of stories penned in jail by former HDP co-chair Selahattin Demirtaş. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive, and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris.

Michael Provence of UC San Diego on "The Last Ottoman Generation and the Making of the Modern Middle East" (Cambridge University Press). The book examines both continuities and ruptures in the years during and after the First World War, when the fall of the Ottoman Empire led to seismic shocks across the Middle East. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive, and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris.

Jonathan Varjabedian on “My Dear Son Garabed: Kojaian Family Letters from Efkere/Kayseri to America (1912-1919)” (Histor Press), a remarkable collection of letters sent from the Anatolian village of Efkere between 1912 and 1919. They were sent to Garabed Kojaian and his father Harutian, among the many Ottoman Armenians migrating to America in the early 20th century. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive, and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris.

Cengiz Erişen of Istanbul's Yeditepe University on "Political Behavior and the Emotional Citizen: Participation and Reaction in Turkey" (Palgrave Macmillan), focusing on the months between the June 2015 and November 2015 elections as well as the current campaign for the snap presidential and parliamentary elections.  Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast and get full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive, and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris.

Erin Banco on "Pipe Dreams: The Plundering of Iraq's Oil Wealth" (Columbia Global Reports), uncovering squalid deals, unscrupulous foreign oil companies, and rampant corruption in the Kurdistan Regional Government since the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It also touches on Turkey's role in fostering Erbil's independence from Baghdad through oil deals. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast, getting full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive, and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris.

John McManus, fellow at the British Institute at Ankara, on "Welcome to Hell? In Search of the Real Turkish Football" (W&N), a colourful exploration of what the beautiful game can tell us about a football-mad society and Turkey’s modern history. Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast, getting full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive, and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris.

Volkan Yılmaz, assistant professor of social policy at Istanbul’s Boğaziçi University, on “The Politics of Healthcare Reform in Turkey” (Palgrave Macmillan). The book examines reforms in the country’s healthcare system under the AKP since 2003: What changed? What improved? What got worse? Who gained? Who lost? Become a Turkey Book Talk member to support the podcast, getting full transcripts (in English and Turkish) of every interview upon publication, transcripts of the entire Turkey Book Talk archive, and access to an exclusive 30% discount on over 200 Turkey/Ottoman history titles published by IB Tauris.